Ruling on eating the testicles of halal-slaughtered animals, and eating crabs

Question

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:

It
is permissible to eat the testicles of halal-slaughtered animals, as there
is no evidence to suggest that it is not permissible, and the basic
principle is that things are permissible.

It
says in al-Mudawwanah:

That which may be included with meat, such as fat, liver, stomach, heart,
lungs, spleen, kidneys, neck, testicles, feet, head and the like, comes
under the same ruling as meat. End quote.

Tahdheeb al-Mudawwanah
by al-Baraadha‘i (1/93). See also Mawaahib al-Jaleel (6/204)

The Standing Committee was asked:

Is
it permissible to eat the testicles of an animal that are cut off whilst it
is alive?

The committee replied:

It
is not permissible to eat anything that has been cut from an animal that may
be eaten, when it is alive, such as the testicles, fatty tail, and so on,
because that comes under the ruling on “dead meat”, because the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whatever is cut from an
animal when it is still alive is ‘dead meat.’” End quote.

Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah
(22/501-502)

This implies that it may be eaten if it comes from an animal that has been
slaughtered in the prescribed manner.

However, some scholars regarded it as makrooh to eat them, because this is
something that people usually find off-putting.

It
says in al-Mughni (3/296): That part of the animal is not regarded as
good to eat.

Az-Zayla‘i said in Tabyeen al-Haqaa’iq (6/226):

It
is makrooh to eat the vagina, testicles, glands, bladder and gallbladder of
sheep, because they are things that people find distasteful and they dislike
them. End quote.

Secondly:

The basic principle with regard to sea creatures is that they are
permissible to eat, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation
of the meaning):

“Lawful to
you is (the pursuit of) watergame and its use for food – for the benefit of
yourselves and those who travel”

[al-Maa’idah 5:96].

Al-Bukhaari (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated in his Saheeh
(5/2091):

‘Umar said: Its “game” is that which is hunted and caught, and its “food” is
that which it casts up (onto the shore). Abu Bakr said: That which floats is
halaal. Ibn ‘Abbaas said: Its “food” is its “dead meat” (that which dies
without being slaughtered in the prescribed manner), except that which has
started to rot. Shurayh, the companion of the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) said: Everything in the sea is (regarded as if it was)
slaughtered in the prescribed manner. End quote.

And the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said
concerning the sea: “Its water is a means of purification and its ‘dead
meat’ is permissible.”

Narrated and classed as saheeh by at-Tirmidhi (69). Also narrated by Abu
Dawood (83); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’ (1/42)

And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whatever
Allah has permitted in His Book is permissible; whatever He has prohibited
is prohibited; and whatever He has remained silent about is pardoned, so
accept Allah’s pardon, for Allah is never forgetful.” Then he recited this
verse (interpretation of the meaning): “and
your Lord is never forgetful”
[Maryam 19:64].

Narrated by al-Bayhaqi (20216); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in as-Saheehah
(2256).

Based on the above, eating shrimp and crab is permissible and there is no
reason not to eat them, because of the general meaning of the evidence which
indicates that everything caught from the sea is permissible.

But if it is proven that any of these things are toxic or harmful to the one
who eats them, then it is prohibited to eat them, because of the harm that
it may cause, not because it is prohibited in and of itself.

Thirdly:

We
do not know of any text that limits the number of prohibited animals to
seven. Moreover, there cannot be any such limit if we examine the texts. The
texts say that pigs, any wild animal that has fangs, any bird that has
talons, tame donkeys and scavengers are all prohibited.

The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed that five
animals are to be killed, namely: crows, kites, rats, scorpions and vicious
dogs.

Please see the answers to questions no. 1919 and
10498.

And Allah knows best.